


Memories for a Lifetime

by SoCanonItHurts



Category: Merlin (TV)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-17
Updated: 2017-05-11
Packaged: 2018-06-02 17:36:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,167
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6575992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SoCanonItHurts/pseuds/SoCanonItHurts
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Merlin is one of the best neurosurgeons around, but he never expected to see his favorite actor on the operating table. Memories are unlocked, a life Merlin had long forgotten brought to the surface, and more revealed than he had ever planned.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Accident

**Author's Note:**

> I know nothing about medicine or how hospitals work. This is actually the first fic I started on in the Merlin fandom, but again, never finished it.

Slow.Slow.Slow.Slow.Slow. Merlin chanted inside his head as he clicked his pen in thought. You would think as a brain surgeon he’d be busier on a Saturday night but no, tonight was a ghost town, as if every drunk decided to take a cab, and every mentally challenged person in the hospital had decided to become sane again for just tonight. 3 am and no patients since 11. This had to be hell. 

Merlin stood quickly and began pacing, smirking as he suddenly stopped, grabbing a photo from his desk and looking it over for the thousandth time. It was a cutout from a Peoples magazine of Arthur Pendragon, the most popular young actor of this generation and Merlin’s for sure wet dream. The door opened and laughter could be heard that he would recognize anywhere, “Will, so glad you decided to drop in.”

“Are you looking at his picture again? Really pathetic, man, you have enough money to go to one of his premieres and yet you won’t dare because you don’t think he’d like you? Really pathetic.” 

“Aren’t you a nurse, shouldn’t there be patients in the ER that need your assistance?” Merlin sighed as he set down the picture again, it was true. He had saved up even before he had become a surgeon at 26 to go to one of Arthur’s premieres, but he didn’t have the guts. 

“Oh just a couple—“Suddenly Merlin’s pager and the alarm went off, they had an ambulance coming in. Part of Merlin was excited, finally something for him to do, but at the same time, the alarm only went off when it was really bad. “See you downstairs.” Will said hurriedly before dashing off himself. He was floor nurse tonight and he needed to be there. Merlin followed quickly, throwing his lab coat on as he jogged down the stairs rather than take the elevator. 

When he got down to the ER it was a mess, patient after patient came rolling in. It was a car accident, a bad one with both drivers having been drunk. Idiots! There was already one casualty at the scene and the rest were in critical condition. He had the worst one, his skull was basically coming apart and he needed to operate immediately. The patient was still conscious somehow and looking around when Merlin reached the moving bed that his patient was on. “Sir, can you hear me?” A blink to signify understanding, “My name is Merlin, I’m going to help you.” He smiled and looked down for a moment, only to be met with blue eyes he found he recognized. Did he know this person? Oh god, please don’t be anyone he loved. He couldn’t tell completely because of the wrappings and bandages around the man’s body but he would have to follow up later.

They reached the operation room in record time and they got him hooked up to the IVs in there. “I’m going to need all of you to be at your best, this one’s got to live, hear me?” Merlin looked at his nurses and the other doctor in the room, who all nodded in determination before getting to work. There was a lot of damage to the skull but only a small amount to the actual brain. Bruising and bleeding, which Merlin stopped quickly, only to find damage in the medial temporal lobe and that along with the known spinal injury, this man might never walk again, or remember who he is. 

The surgery is a success but Merlin knew when the man awoke, he would be confused, unable to walk, and possibly very angry, but he had other patients now. At 8 am, every patient had been attended to and their ER rooms were filled with loved ones surrounding the patients who could remember who they were. 

Merlin was off to see their one ‘stay a while’ patient, the blue eyed man he’d operated on first. He knocked on the door gently so if the man was sleeping still, then he wouldn’t bother him. After no response, Merlin opened the door slowly only to find piercing blue eyes staring at him. Even with the tubes in his nose to breathe, Merlin would recognize him anywhere. In the bed, unable to remember himself or how to move, was Arthur Pendragon.


	2. Revelation

“Who are you?” Suddenly, Merlin had a plastic knife pointed at him menacingly, or at least that’s what Arthur had planned it to look like but instead it looked really sad.

“I’m Dr. Emrys. I’m not here to hurt you, I’m the one who saved your life. Do you remember anything?” He asked this slowly, hoping a softer tone would keep Arthur calm enough to speak. “Can you tell me your name?”

Arthur’s eyebrows clenched together as he slowly lowered the knife, eyes darting around as if he was searching his probably wiped clean mind. “N-no…I…I don’t remember anything. Oh god..um…what the hell happened?”

Merlin had expected anger but Arthur seemed strangely calm, “You were in a bad accident with a few other people. You were severely injured.” He steps closer until he could touch Arthur’s arm if he really wanted to, but didn’t because this was not the time to fangirl, especially since Arthur wouldn’t understand why. 

“I…I can’t walk. I know that and I have a head injury obviously since I can’t remember anything. Well, not exactly. I remember the crash I think, the headlights, and then everything else is blank. Do I have any family? Oh god, I can’t even remember if I have a family…” Arthur was suddenly in tears and Merlin surged forward to wrap his arms around him, but stopped short, knowing it was inappropriate. Too bad Arthur didn’t realize that because Merlin suddenly had his arms full of gorgeous blond anyway and had no choice but to soothe him. “It’s alright, there are a couple people downstairs who were in the crash as well. They might know you and be able to tell you some things. Don’t worry, hopefully you’ll recover your memories soon.”

Arthur surged back, looking up at Merlin with hopeful eyes, “So that means I’ll get my memory back? Will I walk again too, or am I like this forever?”

“Your memories, maybe. Some people regain them with time, others don’t. You’re paralysis is temporary, with time and effort you should be able to walk again. After examination we found your spine was not damaged, just some nerves surrounding it that can be re-routed with practice. I’ll go and talk to the other patients and find out what they know, but in the mean time I can tell you, you do have a family. I know you do.” He wasn’t going to outright and say, ‘Hey, you’ve been my fantasy for years’ and splatter the man with information that only a stalker would probably know, not that Merlin was a stalker, just a high level fan. Arthur was silent but he nodded, giving Merlin the freedom to leave the room, running right into Gwen, his other best friend and fellow doctor, though she was in obstetrics, delivering and caring for babies was more her thing.

“Gwen! What are you doing here, I thought you had a delivery tonight.” He tried to smile but Gwen wasn’t having it, she could always tell when something was off, plus, gossip ran rampant in a hospital. 

“I did. It’s morning now, moron. Plus, I heard about your patient, the one you shouldn’t even have to check in on since he’s no longer in surgery?” Gwen crossed her arms, giving Merlin the mother look that always gets him to spill his guts all over the floor for her to sort through.

“Okay okay, so Arthur Pendragon is my patient! He doesn’t even remember who he is, Gwen. He’s been such an inspiration to me that I can’t possibly not help him out.” Gwen again gave a look, this time one of surprise, “Arthur? Holy shit Merlin! So that’s what the nurses are talking about. Apparently there’s a woman in the waiting room demanding to see Arthur Pendragon, but the nurses couldn’t tell her anything because even he’s still considered a John Doe. You better get down there and tell them what’s going on, I have a baby to check on.” With that, she was gone and Merlin was left with a sense of dread as he made his way down to the waiting area. 

His sense of dread was correct. Not many people knew that Arthur had a half-sister, only diehard fans knew, and only the best fan knew that his half-sister was famous model Morgana Gorlois, or just MG for short since that’s how she signed her name. She was the most beautiful woman in the industry and she was standing in the waiting room, tapping her foot and wearing sunglasses inside like the prettiest douche bag in the world. The nurses gave him a look that signaled she was making a raucous and he better do something about it. 

“Uh, Miss? You’re looking for Arthur, correct?’ Suddenly the sunglasses were off and she was storming towards Merlin with death in her eyes.

“Take me to him. Now! I command it.” Her eyes also showed fear, she must have heard about the accident from the nurses. This wasn’t going to be pretty. 

“Come with me.” He said softly, slightly terrified but determined to do this right. He lead her away from the crowd in the waiting area to a more secluded section near Arthur’s room where they could speak privately. 

“I thought you were taking me to Arthur! Where is he? Is he alright?” Her voice softened at the last question and Merlin watched as she began wringing her hands together, eyebrows cinched in worry. 

“He’s fine. Well, he’s alive. I’m not going to lie to you, he was in critical condition. He’s stabilized and awake now but probably very weak.” Merlin smiled as he saw her relax slightly, but his smile faltered as he had to tell her everything, “He had a head injury and a close to spinal injury. He currently is paralyzed, though this will only last as long as he can control. With practice and effort he will walk again. Now, there is one more thing.”

Morgana was wide eyed now and clearly upset, but she nodded solemnly, needing to know. Merlin found himself thinking that she was a good sister, Arthur’s father wasn’t even here to see him. “He has lost his memory. He won’t remember you, since he doesn’t even remember himself. So you’ll have to take it slow with him, only one visitor at a time until he’s comfortable and don’t overload him with information. Little things here and there could spark memories and he could remember on his own. Overloading him will just upset him, since knowing Arthur, he’s stubborn and won’t like the fact he can’t do something as simple as remember his own name, or his own sister.”

Morgana narrowed her eyes in suspicion, “How do you know I’m his sister? No one knows that, at least not publicly.”

“I-I’m a big fan…of both of you actually.” Merlin smiled sheepishly, praying she wouldn’t kill him on the spot for his knowledge, but she slowly smiled instead. 

“I see. Number one fan is his doctor. How interesting. I’m actually glad of it, it’ll probably help, knowing him so well. May I see him now? Or should I wait?” Merlin chuckled softly and shook his head, “No wait necessary. He was worried about not knowing whether he had family or not, so he might be relieved to meet you.” 

She nodded her head, solemn once again as Merlin lead her to the appropriate room and opened the door. “Arthur, there’s someone here to see you.” When he had the door open, once again a knife was pointed at them, causing a small laugh from Morgana. Arthur must have recognized it because he turned towards her and his eyes brightened a little. “I know you. Who are you?”

“I’m your sister, Morgana. I was so worried when I heard you’d been in an accident. I know you don’t remember me well, but in time, brother, you will.” Arthur seemed scared by the sudden hug he was swept into by his sister, but he returned it, taking her at her word. But, he looked at Merlin in a way that seemed to be asking for confirmation. Merlin nodded with a smile and Arthur really hugged back in earnest, fully believing her now. 

It was surprising to Merlin that Arthur trusted him like that, it must be because he was the first person to talk to him since he’d woken up. But a part of Merlin felt like there was more to it than that. As he stepped out of the room, an eerily familiar voice resounded in his head, calling his name. Merlin….


End file.
